The Shadow Torchwood Style
by tonjavmoore
Summary: Originally written for reel torchwood Challenge 1 at Live Journal. Who knows what evil lurks within the hearts on aliens? Captain Jack Harkness knows.
1. Near the Turn of the 21st Century

_Originally written for the reel_torchwood Challenge 1 on Live Journal_

**Prompt:** The Shadow (1994) starring Alec Baldwin  
**Characters/Pairings:** Jack/Ianto, Gwen/Rhys  
**Rating:** PG13 (a lot of innuendo and m/m kissing)  
**Warnings:** Slash, language, angst  
**Spoilers:** Completely AU, so nothing other than character names and personalities for Torchwood and a cameo appearance by the Doctor  
**Disclaimer:** Torchwood belongs to the BBC and RTD. Sadly. Captain Jack Harkness belongs to Stephen Moffat who created him and John Barrowman who made him amazing. Ianto Jones belong to the fans who love him. The Shadow belongs to Street & Smith and the man who made him a pulp hero Walter B. Gibson. This particular movie belongs to Universal.

Author's Note: For those of you who are not fanatic Shadow-ologists, you may have heard that the real name of the Shadow was Lamont Cranston. Au contraire, the identity of Lamont Cranston was one of many that aviator Kent Allard assumed when he turned to the challenge of fighting criminals.

* * *

**The Shadow - Torchwood Style**

His name in the other dimension had been Kent Allard; he could remember that. He also remembered being a member of the highest council of the Time Agency, the rulers of the known universe. The details were hazy because he'd been gone so long.

He remembered his self-indulgence though. Women, men, aliens – they had all fueled his voracious appetite for sensual pleasure and his search for the Agency's greatest desire: immortality. He'd lived such a dangerous and self-indulgent lifestyle that it was a wonder that he'd survived.

His name now was Jack. He liked it. And, in spite of the changes, or perhaps because of them, he liked himself now.

The Time Agency and the Time Lords had been at war for as long as anyone could remember. The Agency craved endless power and immortality. The Time Lords wanted freedom and peace. In some dimensions, the Agency ruled. In others the Lords held sway.

This was yet another dimension, one that hadn't been corrupted by the Agency, or the benevolent oversight of the Time Lords.

Long ago, Kent Allard was plucked out of his pampered life by the Time Lord known only as the Doctor. Jack still did not understand why this particular Time Lord had chosen him to abduct from his extravagant sanctum, what it was in him that was deemed salvageable. But salvaged he'd been. It hadn't been easy; he'd resisted the new ideas at first. Yet, even in those early stages he had seen the wisdom in the teachings. Now, Jack understood and embraced the knowledge he had been given. He was ready to assume the position allotted to him to help save this dimension from the tyranny of the Time Agency.

Now, he stood in front of the human-looking alien, who had been his captor, then his mentor, and finally his friend. The Doctor put a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I'll be sorry to lose you, Jack," he said quietly. "I think it's safe to say that you have been a star pupil. So many fail to grasp what we are trying to keep safe, but you understand the dangers of time."

"Thank you, Doctor," Jack said, smiling wistfully. "Is this good-bye then?"

"Perhaps. Perhaps not. I may pop by again from time to time, but there are other dimensions to save and I have faith in you to protect this planet. It doesn't appear important, but there are dangers here. It is one of the places that the Agency can find a foothold, if they aren't stopped."

"I hope I'm up to it, sir." Jack couldn't bring himself to be too smug in front of his friend, but he did have a lot of self-confidence. The most rigorous of training had been unable to counteract his innate brazenness. He sincerely believed that was a good thing.

The Doctor grinned at him. "Humility does not become you, Jack."

"Ok, I'll be really good at this," Jack said, winking.

"You will." Briskly, the Doctor turned to the console and gathered papers. "This is your assignment. You're no longer just 'Jack'. You are now Captain Jack Harkness, retired from the Royal Air Force with numerous medals for bravery. I thought you might enjoy that."

"Well…" Jack drawled. "I'd expect nothing less." He considered. "Does this mean I can fly ships?"

"This planet has not yet ventured to the stars. It means you can fly aircraft. Won't be a problem for you?"

"I'd rather fly than walk."

"Remember the retired part, Jack. You won't be flying unless the job requires it." At Jack's frown, the Doctor laughed. "The humans on this planet call it 'Earth'. Where you will be is a country within a country named Great Britain which is part of another country called the United Kingdom. Its name is Wales."

"That seems unnecessarily complicated. Wales." Jack rolled the name on his tongue. "Does it have a city?"

"A nice one. Cardiff."

"And what I'm supposed to do in Cardiff of Wales of Great Britain of the United Kingdom of Earth?"

"The papers explain in more detail. They also include everything you need to establish your identity here. You will be the heir to an estate on the outskirts of Cardiff. We are in the beginning of the 21st century, by local reckoning. There are computers, but primitive ones. Use the tools you find."

Jack blinked. "That's pretty far back from where I started."

"It has to be. In a year or so, Earth time, a Rift in the fabric of space and time will appear near to you. That Rift must be monitored, Jack. You will be its Guardian. You're going in early so acclimatize yourself, and gather a team, a few trusted people to help you watch the Rift and anything that comes through it. You've studied history, and there's more about your new world in your briefing. Give your name a team if you like. Something clever. I know you can."

"I'll think on it."

"Your wardrobe is ready. You have a few hours to read and assimilate. And there is one more thing."

Jack looked up at the Doctor, startled by the serious tone. "This job is very dangerous, Jack. You can't predict what will come through the Rift. I can't give you invulnerability, but I can make you hard to kill."

Jack had wondered if he would be given something to combat the fragility of being human. As proud as he was of his pure human heritage, he had to acknowledge that he was not as strong or as fast as other races. "How?"

"The moment you set foot upon Earth, you will have the power to cloud minds. You'll appear to be part of the background, invisible. The only part of you that will be seen… is your shadow."


	2. Six Years Later

The silence of the car was in sharp contrast to the noise of Sydney's hottest nightclub, even more so when Ianto Jones opened the door to his step-sister's car and got in. He smiled at her. Although they weren't related by blood, they were as close as though they had been raised together. "Why all the mystery, Tosh?" he asked. "You said not to tell anyone you were here. I left Lisa sitting there and said I needed a breath of air. That won't hold her for long."

Dr. Toshiko Sato regarded him seriously. "There was another attempt to kidnap Dad tonight."

"Not again?" Ianto slammed his hand onto the dash. "Where were his guards? Where were the police?"

"What can they do without clues, Ianto? These people are like ghosts. They don't leave evidence behind. This time Dad was inside the lab. No one saw or heard anything until he yelled, not even his bodyguards. They were masked and gloved like the other times. Once they were discovered they disappeared into the night without so much as a footprint left behind."

"One of these days those guards won't be fast enough." Ianto grimaced in frustration. "We've got to convince him to go into hiding, Tosh."

"He won't leave the lab, and Mum won't leave without him."

"I know." Ianto's mother had married Tosh's father six years ago, shortly after they'd moved here from Cardiff. They were inseparable. "Look, I don't see how I can leave for this new operation with this hanging over our heads."

"Ianto Jones, you've been trying to get into Intelligence ever since you joined the Navy. You _have_ to take that assignment."

There might have been more to the argument, but they were interrupted by a series of bright flashes in the sky. It wasn't lightning – more like fire burning in front of the clouds. "What the hell?" Ianto said. The air around them started to swirl and the buildings appeared to shimmer in and out.

"Oh, my God! It's a Time Storm! This is what Dad's machine has been telling him. Look!"

Outside the car there were figures flickering. People dressed in clothes from other centuries, shapes that didn't belong, and beams of light from out of the sky sweeping across the area. Ianto opened the door and jumped out. "I've got to find Lisa! Get somewhere safe!" he shouted as he slammed the door closed.

"No, Ianto! Tosh pushed the door open again, leaning across the seat. "Wait! Don't…!"

One of the beams of light speared Ianto as he ran towards the club. He fell to his knees. Another beam hit him and he screamed, collapsing onto the ground. Tosh leapt out of the car and ran to him. "Ianto!" The beams moved on and Tosh grabbed hold of him. She took his pulse while she listened for his breathing. Still alive, but out cold. She dragged him as best she could back toward the car. The car wavered and blinked out.

"No! No!" Tosh looked around, desperate for some shelter. She saw shrubbery at the edge of the lot and dragged Ianto to it. She plunged in and pulled him after her, ignoring the scratches from the prickly leaves. It wasn't much but the thick foliage deflected the lights away from them.

It seemed like forever before the lights and noise were gone.

Tosh crawled out of the bushes and looked around her, hoping against hope that there would be emergency vehicles coming. What greeted her was devastation. All the buildings had either collapsed or suffered heavy damage. She turned to the club where Ianto had been. It was a pile of rubble. Lisa!

She ran toward the building and saw the bodies. She was afraid to look further. She prayed that Lisa was alive somewhere in the rubble. She returned to the bushes. Ianto's breathing was shallow but regular. His pulse was strong. Tosh placed a hand over his heart. "Wake up, little brother," she whispered. "Please! I need you…"


	3. Two Years Later

Captain Jack Harkness surveyed the deserted parking lot. "I don't see anything," he said to his driver. "Do you, Rhys?"

"No, sir." Rhys replied. "Suzie is sure this is the place. The monitors are usually pretty accurate, even with that small of a trace."

"All right. I'll do some scouting." Jack opened the door. "If I'm not back in half an hour, call the others."

"Got it." Rhys pulled a gun from between the seats. "I'll ping if I see anything."

Jack slid out and around the car. The trees on the University lawn were particularly dark. He headed for them, moving soundlessly. All his senses told him that something was wrong. It wasn't long before he heard the faint cry for help. Wrapping his scarf around his face and lowering the brim of his hat, he dashed toward the sound. Whatever the monitors had picked up could wait; there was someone in trouble.

Four men dressed in black were in the clearing, two of them holding the arms of a small Asian woman. She was struggling and screaming. Jack drew his Webleys and used his powers. His physical form faded from view. He leapt toward the struggling woman and laughed his battle cry.

The strangely distorted sound echoed around the men and they stopped, looking for the source. They wouldn't find it. Jack moved to the side to get a clear shot and fired so that his bullet whistled over the man's head. "Let the lady go," he warned, damping the distortion enough to make his voice understandable. "The next one will be through your brain."

The man's head and gun swung wildly. "Don't interfere!" he growled. He whirled and pointed the gun at the girl. "Don't come any closer."

Guns pointing at victims irritated Jack. Gliding closer he snatched the gun from the man's hand, retreating before his shadow could give away his position. "I'm giving you one more chance," he warned. "Let her go."

The two holding the woman released her arms and fled, followed by the other two. Jack moved to where she couldn't see him and stopped the clouding. He crossed the grass and helped her to her feet. "Who are you?" he asked, moderating his voice so that it still was disguised but much gentler.

Her eyes were wide and her breathing rapid. "I'm Dr. Toshiko Sato," she managed. "Who are _you_?"

"Don't worry. I'm here to help. Are you all right?"

She nodded, and then shook her head. "Just shaken up. I'll be okay." She was still unsteady on her feet.

Jack took her arm and guided her toward the car. "Let me help you. I'll have someone take you home. Rest and try to forget this happened."

"I wish I could," she said softly, looking away. "Thank you."

He opened the door and spoke to Rhys. "Take Dr. Sato to her home, please. Make sure she arrives safely." He closed the door and disappeared.

* * *

Toshiko stared after the mystery man. "Where do you need to go, ma'am?" The man in the front seat spoke as though the situation was the norm for him.

She slumped back. Too exhausted and upset to think clearly, she gave the man the address of the flat she was sharing with Ianto. She couldn't stop thinking about the men who tried to take her and the strange rescue by the mysterious man. It was too much to deal with now. Only one thought was clear. They've found us again.

She and Ianto had moved five times since leaving Australia, but the pursuers always found them. It had taken them only three months, this time. Toshiko was weary of running, weary of hiding. What else could they do?

Finally, she gathered her wits enough to ask, "Who are you? Who was that man?"

At first she thought he wasn't going to answer, but he said, "They call him 'The Shadow'. I just drive where he tells me to go."

"The Shadow?" Tosh repeated. "Isn't he a myth?"

"Maybe."

The car stopped and the stranger opened the door for her. "Which flat, please?" he asked.

Numbly she replied, "Number 1024. But you don't need to…." She stopped as the man took her arm gently.

"My instructions are to see you home safely, ma'am. I'll take you to your door. What if you trip?" He flashed a smile at her. "I have to follow instructions."

For some reason, this struck Tosh as funny and she giggled. She found her security card and used it to open the door. With a nod to the men at the desk, she let the driver lead her to the lift and to her door. Once she got out her keys, he bowed and left.

She could see Ianto waiting for her, silhouetted in front of the wall of glass that gave them a view of Cardiff Bay. "You're late," he said. There was no accusation in his tone. "There's coffee in the kitchen."

Tosh turned on the light in the kitchen and poured herself a cup. She turned to Ianto who was still looking out and said quietly. "I'm sorry. I know you were worried." She took a deep breath. "Ianto, they've found us again."

He whirled around and had her in his arms before she could say any more. "What happened?"

She leaned against him, drawing strength as she always did. "They found me as I was walking to my car. Four of them. They had me before I could run."

"Dammit, Tosh! You were alone, weren't you?"

"I was stupid. You don't have to remind me."

Ianto led her to the sofa and sat her down. He took the chair opposite and turned on a lamp. Tosh could see how concerned he was. "I really am all right," she assured him.

He looked down at his hands and back up at her. "For now." He sighed, "I was afraid of this. I'm sorry I was right."

"You tried to warn me, little brother." She hoped the nickname would make him smile. It didn't, but he relaxed a bit. "Believe it or not, a superhero came to my rescue."

"What are you talking about?" He looked confused.

She told him of her rescue. "I know it sounds weird," Tosh admitted. "It sounds weird to me too. I'm okay now, but I was scared out of my mind."

Ianto took her hands and squeezed them. "They didn't get you. Let's concentrate on that for the moment." Once again he pulled her into a hug. "I'm so relieved that you're okay, I don't have the energy to be mad. Just stop trying to go about alone. At least one other person always."

She patted him gently. "I'm okay. Promise. We'll start the police routine in the morning." She stood.

He stood with her. There was a long pause before he said, "We need to stop letting this dictate how we live, Tosh. We need to make a stand. There must be someone who can help us." He smiled. "Maybe your superhero?"

She gave him a somewhat cocky grin, relieved that his sense of humor was still in place. "I doubt I'll ever see him again, little brother." The last was their private joke. Even in her heels, she barely reached his shoulder.

"You go to bed, big sister." He gave her a squeeze. We'll face this together, like we always have. Maybe this time it will work."


	4. Behind the Scenes

The man known as Hart glared at them at the table, devoid of masks and gloves now. "You're not going to believe us," one said. "It's crazy."

"Believe what? That you botched the job again? That's not so unbelievable." Hart crossed his arms. "Tell me what happened this time."

"Honestly, we had her. I don't know who or what that was, but it was unnatural. You know the policy. We ran as soon as we were discovered. You would have, too."

"I sincerely doubt that." Hart was torn. These men were supposed to be the best of the covert operators. If he got rid of them, as he should do, he'd have to recruit from local talent and he wasn't particularly interested in training up such raw recruits. He spared a moment's thought on what it would be like to have actual officers with him, under his command. They'd make short work of this and the woman would be safely tucked back in his home dimension. He would be rid of this backwater planet and this primitive time.

Alas, not to be – at least until Hart successfully brought back the goods. That would win him a seat on the Military Council and his ambitions would be fulfilled, at least for now. Their tame Time Lord had told them that at least part of the secret of immortality began here with Toshiko Sato in this untouched dimension.

Now, the lady was proving elusive. No matter. He'd find her and bring her back to the Agency.

With a sigh he returned to the question at hand. Should he ditch these men and recruit others? Or should he let them try again? He might as well. Incompetent help was marginally better than none, and there was nothing better to hand here and now.

"All right, back to surveillance. You lucked onto Sato this time. She'll be a lot more cautious now. Anything on Jones?"

"Not a thing." The man shook his head. "He never slips. Always in sight of someone else or locked in that fortress he calls a flat. Unless we go in with a giant wrecking ball, there's no way to get him out of there. You said we can't have witnesses, so unless he goes off alone somewhere, we're never going to tag him."

Hart would have to think of something else.

* * *

When Rhys returned, a frustrated Jack went back to Harkness Manor. He'd remodeled as soon as he'd arrived. What had once been an aging eyesore was now a showplace. At the same time, some workmen had made alterations that they no longer remembered. Jack and Rhys entered the lift to the basement to find the rest of team Torchwood. Jack had chosen the name for whimsical reasons – it was an anagram of the question his mentor had been asked when they had gone to other planets: "Doctor who?" Well, he was the one who told Jack to choose a name, after all.

Suzie sat at her computer, reading something on the screen. Owen was in the medical bay, no doubt searching for something he'd misplaced. Gwen saw them come in and ran over to give Rhys a kiss on the cheek. Turning to Jack, she asked, "Did you find anything?"

"Yes and no." He gave her a somewhat grim smile and went to Suzie's station. "Something had definitely been there, but it was gone by the time I arrived. Oh, and I rescued a damsel in distress. Suzie, look up what you can find on Dr. Toshiko Sato."

"One thing I don't have to look up," Suzie said in her acerbic fashion. "I already know she's a guest lecturer at Cardiff University. She's a physicist, top of the line. Her research has mostly to do with time, interestingly enough."

"And how do you know all that?"

"I was planning to go to one of her open lectures next week. It's my night off. Rift permitting, of course."

"Right. See what else you can dig up. She was my damsel and something about her felt funny."

"Funny odd or funny ha-ha?" Owen sauntered over to the group. He was a short wiry Londoner who could almost outdo Jack in cockiness.

"Funny odd," Jack replied, patting him on the head. Owen hated that. That was why Jack did it. "There was something peculiar about her, as though she had once been through the Rift. She was apparently being abducted by four unsavory characters. I released her from their evil clutches, but they all disappeared very quickly. Their trail went cold at a road at about the same spot that all traces of the Rift energy went away."

"Funny coincidence, that," Gwen remarked. "Not funny ha-ha, Owen. Did you send her home with Rhys?"

"Seemed the safest thing to do."

"Then we have the address. I'll start with that."

"Okay, kids, conference in thirty minutes. Owen, rustle up some sandwiches or something. Being a dashing hero takes it out of me."

"Uh huh. Right. You want to give us a hand, Rhys? I'm not sure I can carry a tray with enough sandwiches to stuff the Captain's big head."

When they reconvened, both Gwen and Suzie were wearing smug expressions. Reaching for a sandwich, Jack said, "You two look ready to burst. So who's going to start?"

Suzie pressed the button with a flourish as she said, "Meet Dr. Toshiko Sato." A picture of a lovely Japanese woman appeared on the large screen. She did not look like an average physicist, at least to Jack.

"That's my damsel," he confirmed. Even in this posed shot, she looked as though she carried a great weight on her tiny shoulders. Considering that she was a target for abduction by men with a trace of time energy that might very well be the case.

"This picture was taken six months ago when Dr. Sato was a guest lecturer at the University of Ottawa. Since her father's death, she has moved five times to different countries. Started from Sydney, Australia, then to Osaka in Japan, then to Athens. From there she went to Moscow, then to Ottawa, and then moved here to Cardiff. The length of stay varies. Interesting fact, though – she and her step-brother always have contact with the police before they go. The files on that are tougher to get and it may take me a while to access."

"Step-brother?" Jack inquired.

Suzie turned to Gwen and nodded. Gwen took up the narrative. "His name is Ianto Jones," she said, bringing up a picture of him standing by Dr. Sato. "Pretty good-looking, I'd say."

Jack agreed, looking at the image with more interest. Jones was younger than his sister – Jack estimated five years between them, if not more. He was also tall, at least six feet. He had a trim but muscular figure, but that was not riveted Jack's attention. Classic features with blue eyes defined his face. He had the pale skin that Jack admired in the locals and there was a faint blush coloring his cheeks. The shot was a candid one and he seemed to be scanning the crowd. There was a slight bulge just under his left shoulder. A holster?

Gwen winked at Jack and Jack returned it. His team knew that he was attracted by both men and women, but privately Jack had a bias toward male lovers. Looking at this man, he thought he looked almost too good to be true. Probably one hundred percent straight, though. Jack repressed a sigh.

"Oi! You're not in the market, lovey." Rhys reached across the table and shook his finger playfully at her. They'd been newly-weds when Jack recruited them and still behaved that way.

Gwen stuck her tongue out at Rhys. "I'm not dead yet. Anyway, he and Dr. Sato aren't exactly related. His mother married her father. Both parents died in that freak storm that hit Sydney a couple of years ago."

"That Sort-of-a-Rift mess?" Owen asked. They had as a matter of course investigated that phenomenon. Jack and Suzie had flown down under to take readings and measurements after the fact. Apparently a large Rift had appeared and then disappeared in a short time, but not before causing massive destruction. The body count stood at one thousand three hundred and forty-six, nearly two hundred were still on the missing list, and only twenty-seven known in the area were had survived.

"Yeah. He and his sister were among the survivors. He was on shore leave from the Royal Australian Navy and they were in a car when the storm started. Not a lot of detail in the reports. He was in a coma for four days. Not a visible injury on him, but something must have happened. There's nothing in the medical records about cause. He was honorably discharged along with several others to pick up the pieces after the storm."

"Rank?" Jack asked idly.

"Lieutenant. He'd just been promoted and was waiting for a new assignment. Went to Cresswell and it looked like he was going to make it a career. Now he works as a librarian, of all things."

"Good librarians are hard to find."

"Or do you mean hard librarians are good to find?" snickered Owen.

Jack grinned. "You never know unless you look." He went back to Suzie. "So what is Dr. Sato working on exactly?"

"The physics of time. She's continuing the work that her father started in Sydney. He was well-known in academic circles. Several patents, some lucrative."

"Hmmm." It was too much of a coincidence that they had both a physicist researching time and kidnappers that left a time energy trail. "I think this warrants more investigation. Keep digging, ladies. I'll work on it from another angle. Dust off your chauffeur uniform, Rhys. We'll need the limo to show that man-about-town image."

"Great." Rhys sighed, rolling his eyes. "Love spending hours waiting around for you while you live the good life."

"I'll bring you a doggie bag."


	5. Shadowy Meetings

It wasn't hard to set up a meeting with the police commissioner. Jack simply asked him to dinner at Cardiff's finest restaurant. He'd established a relationship with law enforcement so that he could keep in the loop about a certain class of otherwise unclassifiable objects. After the first few explosions in the evidence room the police had proved willing to let those items disappear.

Jack was dressed in his tuxedo and with his white scarf draped around his neck. He was in full Captain Jack Harkness mode, all charm and charisma as he sat with his target, Andrew Davidson. Jack was hoping to wangle an invitation to meet Dr. Sato in a more informal setting. Andy and the president of the university were close friends.

They'd finished their meal and were lingering over coffee when Andy regarded him with that mixture of suspicion and curiosity he usually did. "So, what do you want this time, Jack? What's turned up that you want to snatch from the custody of the coppers?"

"You wound me, Andy." Jack grinned. "What if I just want to have dinner with an old friend?"

Andy snorted with disbelief. "Don't waste your magic on me, Captain. I'm immune. Fine restaurant, the best wine, and you picking up the tab all add up to something you want from me."

Jack sighed theatrically. "Never could put anything over on you. Yes, I want a favor, but it doesn't have anything to do with police storerooms. I'd like an introduction to a lovely lady and you're my ticket in."

"Oh, dandy." Andy shook his head. "I'll have nothing to do with your seduction escapades, Jack. I have a reputation to maintain."

"I promise it isn't a seduction, Commissioner. I'd just like to meet her. She's a lecturer at that university of yours, Dr. Toshiko Sato. Her research has piqued my curiosity."

Andy stared at him. "You want to meet Toshiko Sato? You need me for that? What happened to just walk up and charm the pants off her?"

"You said it yourself." Jack smiled his most innocent smile. "This isn't a seduction. My intentions are pure. I can't squander the charm on someone I have no intention of sleeping with. Besides, I might scare her away."

"You are a bit overwhelming at times," Andy agreed. "Maybe you could do me a favor in return. These rumors of the Shadow are getting more persistent."

Dangerous territory. Jack didn't bat an eyelash, but he leaned back a bit so that his energy wouldn't show. Adding a bit of a nudge to his voice, he whispered, "You can't investigate a rumor."

Andy sighed. "We can't investigate a rumor."

In the same sibilant undertone Jack continued, "You don't have enough people to look into actual crimes."

Andy shook his head and sighed again. "We don't have enough people to look into real crimes right now."

"You don't need to waste your time chasing someone who doesn't exist."

Andy brought his fist down on the table. "I'm not wasting time running all over the countryside chasing someone who doesn't even exist."

Jack leaned forward into the light and said sympathetically, "You're right, old friend. I'll see what I can find out. I've heard a couple of these rumors myself."

"You agreed awfully fast."

"I want that introduction."

"Well, you may get your chance sooner than you think. Guess who just walked in?" He nodded toward the door.

Jack turned casually. Shedding coats were the university president and his wife. With them stood Toshiko Sato and Ianto Jones.

The picture of Ianto had been nice, but the sight of him in the flesh! He was stunning. Focus, Jack told himself sternly, but as usual he didn't listen to himself. At that moment, the young man looked up and caught Jack's eyes. Jack didn't quite gasp, but he came close. Ianto Jones' eyes, aside from being a lovely shade of blue, had time energy in them. Even at this distance the tingle of that energy danced over Jack's skin. He had to practically rip his eyes away.

Jack was glad that Andy covered his momentary lapse of control by saying, "There she is. Want that introduction now?"

"What? Pounce on them before they've had a chance to sit down? Too crass." Jack grinned again. "Let them get their drinks first."

A few minutes later, Andy led Jack over to the table where the others were sitting. Jack had to concentrate very hard to ignore the energy that thrummed around him like a vibrating blanket. He looked instead at Dr. Sato. Like her picture, she was petite, with large brown eyes that seemed to be too big for her small face.

Vaguely Jack heard Andy introducing him to the president. "Ben, I'd like you to meet Captain Jack Harkness. Jack, Ben Wheelwright."

Jack offered a polite hand. "Mr. Wheelwright," he acknowledged politely. Damn that tingle! He was practically shivering from it.

"I've heard of you, Captain, but then who in Cardiff hasn't?" He turned to his wife. "Dorrie, you know Andy and this is the infamous Captain Jack Harkness. That's Mrs. Wheelwright to you, Captain."

"A pleasure, ma'am," Jack said with an appealing smile. "I take exception to that description." He took her outstretched hand and kissed it. When she giggled, he winked and turned to the other two occupants of the table.

Ben continued, "Dr. Sato, our guest in physics. Quite a celebrity in her own right. Captain Jack Harkness and Andy Davidson. Andy is the local commissioner of police."

She extended a hand for Jack to shake. He turned it into a kiss on the hand as he had Mrs. Wheelwright. A blush colored her cheeks. If she hadn't been sitting beside Ianto Jones he would have found her almost irresistible. "I've heard of your work, Doctor," he said. "Perhaps we could discuss it sometime."

"Come during my office hours," she replied, responding to his flirting with a bit of her own. "You'll be doing me a favor by chasing all the students out. But, don't tell Mr. Wheelwright."

"I'll keep it mum." Dr. Sato was a bit of a surprise. She was no shy flower. Jack continued, "And this is…?" He was proud of himself for keeping his voice light as he looked at Jones.

Again those blue eyes pierced him, sending pleasurable sensations over Jack's entire body. Had he been able, Jack would have rolled in it. He heard Toshiko say, "This is my brother, Ianto Jones." Ianto stood and offered his hand.

The moment they touched, Jack wanted to throw Ianto over his shoulder and run. Something flashed in Ianto's eyes – something Jack would like to think was a response to his own energy. The handshake lasted a fraction longer than necessary, and then Ianto pulled away.

Wheelwright said congenially, "Won't you join us?"

Andy replied, "We've already had dinner," Andy replied; but Jack shot him a glance full of roguish appeal broadcast far enough to hit the entire table.

"Just for a few minutes?" Jack suggested, deftly pulling a chair from another table and squeezing in between Ianto and Wheelwright. Only then did he realize he was already thinking of the young man possessively. He'd have to watch that. He did risk a glance at Ianto's side. Yes, the suit was cut to accommodate a shoulder holster. It definitely appeared to be full. Did Ianto go armed everywhere?

With no choice left to him, Andy added another chair between Dr. Sato and Mrs. Wheelwright, surrendering with a good grace. He turned to the doctor. "Jack expressed an interest in your work, Dr. Sato."

"I'm just fascinated by Time," Jack said, smiling again. "Do you work with Time, Mr. Jones?"

Ianto appeared unsettled by this question. "I work in a library, Captain Harkness. Toshiko is the brains in this family."

Jack wondered if he knew about the energy that surrounded him. If he did, did he know what it was? He was keeping his own under tight control, but curiosity got the better of him. He reached out tentatively and brushed against the energy that Ianto radiated. Ianto's eyes widened, and he flushed and looked away. Whether or not he knows, he's certainly aware of it, Jack thought. He turned again to Dr. Sato. "I'd like to come to one of your lectures, if I may."

"Of course, Captain. Though you'll probably find them a bit dry. All numbers and charts – not very interesting to the average listener, unless you know a lot of physics."

"This is actually a lucky chance for me," Ianto said to Andy. "I believe you knew my mother when she lived here, Commissioner?"

"Yes, Mr. Jones, I did. Lovely woman."

"If it wouldn't be too much of a presumption, could I have a private word?" When Andy nodded, Ianto turned to the others at the table. "Excuse us for a moment, please."

The two of them moved away. Jack chatted idly with the women, but he used his enhanced senses to listen to the conversation. Ianto spoke first. "Sir, I'd like to see you privately soon."

"You could call my office for an appointment, if you'd like."

"No." Ianto's voice was low, but definite. "I'm sorry, but this needs to be away from the official police presence. It's urgent. You might call it a favor for my mother."

"All right, son." There was a pause, but Jack studiously did not look. Andy resumed, "If it's that important to you, why don't we meet for lunch tomorrow?"

"Thank you. Meet me at the Little Mermaid at 1:00, if that works for you."

Because he wasn't looking Jack didn't see Andy's nod of agreement. There must have been one, because the two of them returned to the table. Jack thought that time would work for him as well, but he wouldn't invite himself in this persona. There were plenty of shadows in the pub.

* * *

Ianto entered the pub with the same caution he always had. Commissioner Davidson was sitting near the back in one of the booths. He slid into the booth and apologized for being late. He'd waited for a crowd of people before crossing from the library to the pub. He never walked alone anymore.

While the commissioner was accepting the apology, Ianto was suddenly overwhelmed by that strange feeling he had experienced last night when he had shaken Jack Harkness' hand. He glanced around, but saw nothing. The booth was far enough back from the windows that shadows surrounded it. Ianto peered into them, but couldn't see anything out of place. He pushed the odd sensations to the back of his mind and focused on the matter at hand.

"Thank you for seeing me, sir," he said. "I know this isn't the way you normally do business."

"It's all rather mysterious. There are seldom any spooky-dos here. Even if I can't help, secret meetings are intriguing."

Ianto smiled grimly. "I'm about to present you with an actual mystery. One that's five years old. Tosh and I have tried keeping it to ourselves, but now we're tired of running from it. Maybe you are the person who can give us the right kind of help. Or at least, direct us to someone who can."

Davidson leaned forward, resting his arm on the table. "I'm all ears, as they say. Enlighten me."

The barmaid appeared to take their order. While Davidson gave his, Ianto's skin prickled. Something like a breeze had moved across the back of his neck, a warm touch almost like a caress. He shifted his coat to cover it. The energy surged around him again and he felt lightheaded. "Just a ham sandwich and a lager," he said to the waitress. She withdrew.

"It will sound crazy, but, trust me, Tosh and I are quite sane. About five years ago, our father was attacked on his campus by four men in masks. He fought back and shouted. A group of students showed up from around the corner. The attackers fled. No one could find a trace of them."

Ianto took a deep breath and continued. "I was at Cresswell and neither my parents nor Tosh told me about it. The police investigated but turned up nothing. Then it happened again. This time he was waiting outside a restaurant for my mother. It was broken up by a constable. The men ran and vanished. It kept happening. Always four, always dressed in black. The attacks were sporadic. Sometimes a few months would go by or there might be two within a week. When the family finally told me, I insisted on an armed bodyguard."

"Good idea."

Ianto was relieved that the other man still seemed to be listening. He disliked repeating the story. He knew it sounded fantastic and he would have been skeptical about it himself. The barmaid appeared with their food and Ianto waited again. While she was there, Ianto distinctly felt pressure on his shoulder as though a hand had rested there for a moment. Again that wash of energy spilled over him. He turned around and looked into the next booth. It was dark and empty.

He sank back into his seat thinking that perhaps he was finally slipping over the edge into paranoia. There isn't anyone there, he told himself. It's your imagination playing tricks. He'd been looking over his shoulder for so long that he had begun to jump at shadows. He sighed and resumed his narrative. "We did hire a guard, then two, but it didn't stop the attacks."

He pushed his untouched food away, and took another sip of water. He folded his hands together and looked at them. This was always the most difficult part. "The last attack was in his lab. There wasn't time for a lot of investigation. It was the same night as that freak storm in Sydney. Do you remember it?"

"I read a lot about it," Davidson said. "It was all over the news and I followed it pretty closely."

"Mum and Dad were killed in their house. Also my fiancée. I'd been with her in a club but I'd gone out to Tosh's car to speak to her about the attack. We survived. They didn't. Sometime during the storm I was knocked out. It… wasn't a good time for us…"

"I can only imagine what it must have been like," Davidson said sympathetically.

"Tosh and I were two of the twenty-seven survivors. None of the people who went missing that night have ever been found. It's like they were never there." Ianto shook his head. "Tosh took over Dad's lab and we were getting back to normal when Tosh was attacked. Same MO. Four men in black again. She got away when campus security showed up. It was too much for us. I'd been having dizzy spells since the coma, and we decided to go away. We've moved a lot since then. Everywhere we went, the attacks would come. We've been here three months. Last night, Tosh was attacked on campus. She tried going to her car alone."

"The men disappeared again, did they? Did she report it?"

"She did. We always do. We filed the report the today, but I know what will happen. The police will give it a cursory look and drop it. There's nothing that they can do – nothing is there. But it will happen again. It will keep happening until they succeed. I don't want to run again, but I'll do anything to keep Tosh safe. She's all I have now."

"Well, I must say, that's a hell of a tale." Ianto watched him; he could almost hear the gears winding in his head as he thought over all he had been told. "I tell you what I can do. It's not much, but it's something. Like you said, there's nothing to get our official teeth into. That man you met last night – Captain Harkness? He's investigates things out of the ordinary."

Ianto stared at him. He had gone to the man for help and the best he could come up with was some amateur sleuth? If he were honest with himself, something about the man intrigued him, but that was a long way from trusting him with this. "I'm… not sure he'd be able to…"

"Don't let him fool you. There's a shrewd mind behind all that charm. He's helped us out before."

Ianto heard the ghost of a laugh. He shot a glance over to the shadows in the corner. Now, he knew it wasn't his imagination playing tricks. He'd heard that laugh just last night. Ianto took a steadying breath. "Do you really think he'd be able to help?"

"More than I can, I'm afraid. It's just like you said, Ianto. There isn't anything to go on. At least nothing concrete. But maybe, just maybe, Harkness might have an idea. No guarantees, mind you."

Ianto smiled and thanked him. He didn't have much hope that anything would come of it, but at least he was doing something instead of wringing his hands. He'd done his fair share of that already. "I won't keep you, sir." He stood. "Thank you."

The commissioner stood as well. "I'll help if I can, son. Be careful. And watch that sister of yours. I'll call you to set up a meeting." He glanced at his watch. "Got to go or my secretary will yell at me again."

Ianto watched him leave, standing for a minute with his hand on the back of the booth to steady himself. It had been difficult but it was done. He wanted to go back to the flat and lose himself in sleep, but it wasn't possible just now. There was a mountain of work at the library.

Suddenly he felt it again, that incredible surge of something that had his skin tingling with excitement. He felt pressure on his hand and another thing. As the feeling abated, Ianto raised his hand to his cheek. If he hadn't known better, he would have sworn he had just been kissed.


	6. Discoveries and Trust

Hart glared at the computer screen. No answers came up. Irritating. He'd have to make a report, and his superiors were getting very impatient. He had no illusions. If he didn't get results soon, they'd replace him. He was the fourth one who'd been chosen. The others had been retrieved and disposed of. The Agency didn't tolerate failure.

He flipped back through the digital surveillance photos of Sato and Jones. They had to have some weakness. They had to go off alone sometime, or he'd have to think of way to get one of them alone. The Agency had told him not to let himself be seen, but this was ridiculous.

Something caught his eye in one of the pictures and he zeroed in on it. Once the targets had been in the restaurant last night, his man had taken photos of everyone who'd come out. The face of one man looked familiar. Hart enhanced the image as much as he could. The man in the tuxedo and scarf looked familiar somehow. The computer had tagged him as Captain Jack Harkness, but something about him teased at the edge of Hart's memory.

He'd seen him before in longer shots. The man was a harmless, nosy idiot who lived in a big house and sometimes was seen with the local coppers at the scene of an investigation. This was the first close-up that Hart had seen. He was quite handsome, almost too handsome to be true. However, it still didn't explain this odd sense that Hart had encountered him before in another place.

He used one of the primitive search engines to get more information. There wasn't much. The oldest entry was eight years before, a news story about his arrival in Cardiff as the long-lost nephew of someone deemed newsworthy. The rest were mostly from gossip columnists. Hart studied all the images available and found one of the man smiling at the camera.

Hart sat back in his chair, stunned. This man was Kent Allard, the member of the Time Agency High Council who had disappeared some time ago. How had he ended up here of all places? There'd been a big fuss when he vanished, with hints of the Time Lords being responsible. Hart had been a raw recruit at the time, but Kent Allard was well-known, even idolized. Now that would be quite a coup, bringing Allard back into the fold. It was possible that he could avoid the consequences of his failure should he be unable to collect Dr. Sato. He filed that away as a secondary goal.

Back to the lovely Toshiko. That protective brother of hers would be on the alert now, and Hart had learned that he was a force to be reckoned with. He cursed his men's impulsiveness. Seeing Sato alone on that campus yard had seemed too good an opportunity, but it hadn't worked. Hart thought about that fantastic tale that had been spun by his men of a ghostly voice and an invisible presence. Hart was sure it was made up, and now they had given away their element of surprise.

It was a time for a change in tactics.

* * *

Jack smiled his most charming smile at the head librarian of the Cardiff library. "I really need to borrow a research expert for a few days, ma'am. I've heard about Ianto Jones. Please, could you see your way clear to loaning him?"

The woman was clearly responding to his charisma. Jack could see she was considering a token protest, but she finally gave in. "Of course, we'll be glad to assist, Captain Harkness. You've been more than generous with your donations."

He mentally patted himself on the back as she called Ianto. The simplest approach was nearly always the best. He'd set Gwen and Suzie on tracking down more information on that storm. He and Suzie had flown to Sydney in the aftermath to take readings, but hadn't spent much time with the survivors, except to confirm that it was a Rift opening and closing. Obviously that had been a mistake.

His skin began to prickle with excitement as he stood and turned to the door. A moment later it opened to admit Ianto. He looked at Jack in surprise and then turned to the woman behind the desk. "You asked to see me, Mrs. Pierce?" he said.

"Yes, Ianto." She indicated Jack. "Captain Harkness has requested your help in cataloging his collection of rare books. The Captain is an important patron of the library." The emphasis was on "important" and "patron." "We wouldn't want to let him down. He asked for you specifically. Captain Harkness, Ianto Jones."

"Actually, we met at Estelle's last night," Jack said. He didn't offer his hand again. He was having enough difficulty not tossing Ianto over his shoulder and running away with him.

Jack noted the same poker face he had seen the previous evening, but the eyes were alight with something else. Curiosity? Suspicion? Both? Ianto nodded briefly in his direction, and then turned back to say, "I'll do my best to see that the Captain isn't disappointed. When would you like me to start?" He turned back to Jack and smiled just a little.

That smile made the room brighter. Jack dialed his charm back a notch and smiled back at him. "No time like the present. Come with me now and I'll show you the lay of the land."

Ianto balked at the idea of getting into Jack's Porsche. "I'll follow you in my own car," he said firmly.

That wouldn't suit Jack's plans at all. "I'll have one of my staff fetch it later."

Ianto's hands balled into fists and he said, "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Don't play games." Ianto's tone was belligerent now. "You meet us last night, try to hit on my sister, and then show up today in sudden need of a librarian and asking for me. What's going on?"

Jack sighed. He was going to have to stop flirting and start talking. "I heard about your sister's narrow escape yesterday. And now I'm curious."

"How did you hear? Did Mr. Davidson talk to you?"

"No." Jack didn't want Ianto to think Andy had betrayed a confidence. He was trying to think of something else when without warning, Jack felt Ianto's Time energy reaching out and his own responding without being told. It was a moment more intimate than a kiss and more powerful than dynamite.

Ianto eyes closed. He took a deep breath. "All right," he said quietly. "For now I'll believe you. I don't know why I should, but I will." He moved around the car and got into the passenger seat.

Jack felt as though he had passed some sort of test. He was still a bit confused from that moment of connection, but determined to press on. He slid behind the steering wheel and started the car.

At first, he wasn't sure that Ianto would speak, but he did. "I looked you up last night."

"Don't believe everything you read."

"If I believed half of what I found, I wouldn't talk to you, much less let you anywhere near Toshiko."

"I swear she's safe from me, Ianto. I can call you Ianto, can't I?"

"Yes."

It was a victory, however small. "What's out there is my public life. My exaggerated public life. I don't even remember the names of all the men and women I've been seen with or linked with in the gossip columns. None of that gets past the façade. I've discovered that if you are very, very public, no one looks behind to the private. Anything that's private doesn't make it out." He looked at Ianto. "You know this is not about my collection, don't you?"

"I never thought it was." Ianto seemed to be studying his hands. "Mr. Davidson recommended that I tell you about Tosh and me. What we've been up against. That you might be able to help. But, why would you? We're strangers. You don't even know us. You don't know what we're up against."

Jack pulled the car into a parking lot and turned the motor off. He turned toward Ianto and their eyes met. "I like you and I want to help," Jack said, all pretense gone.

Ianto gazed at him and Jack held his breath. He could understand Ianto's reluctance. If their positions were reversed, he'd be feeling the same. It came down to trust. Jack spoke quietly. "Please, let me help."

Slowly, Ianto inclined his head. "Yes," he said simply. "All right."

Jack put his hand on Ianto's shoulder and squeezed gently. "This is private. It'll stay that way."

Ianto glanced at the shoulder and then raised his eyes back to Jack's. "I'll take that chance."

For the rest of the drive, Ianto related his story. Jack had heard most of it at lunch, but Ianto filled in some more details. They were nearing the estate when Ianto's phone rang. He put it to his ear. "Hi, Tosh," he said.

His expression changed to one of fear. Jack stopped the car. "Where are you?" Ianto asked. Jack could just hear a panicked voice on the other end, but couldn't make out the words. Ianto replied grimly, "Stay there. Hide. Don't move. Don't make a sound. I'll be there soon." He turned to Jack. "I've got to get to Tosh!"

Jack's Bluetooth chirped and he touched it. "Harkness."

"Jack, there's been an explosion on the university campus."

"On it," Jack said. "Get on your glad-rags, kids, and meet me there. Duty calls."

* * *

Ianto couldn't make himself believe it. Not so soon. It couldn't be a coincidence. And Tosh was there alone.

Jack had driven like a maniac to the campus thus saving precious time. There were police and firemen everywhere, but no one stopping traffic as yet. Jack stopped in the middle of the road and Ianto leapt out as soon as he could get the door open. He had to find Toshiko. They were after her. He thought he could feel her terror.

He pounded up to the lab with his gun drawn. There were no students in the halls. All of the excitement was centered on the explosion site on the other side. He slid in the door and whispered, "Tosh? Are you here?"

"In here," came an answering whisper. The door to a cabinet next to the window opened slightly and Ianto got inside. Tosh threw her arms around him and he held her until she stopped shuddering. "I didn't know where else to go."

The cabinet was dark and close. "Let's be quiet now. I think help is on the way." He faced the cabinet door and pointed his gun, blocking Tosh from view should any one open it. A moment later he heard the door on the outside open. A voice spoke. It was silky and dangerous – Ianto had never heard it before. "Dr. Sato? Dr. Sato?" It came closer. "I know you're here somewhere, dear. We've checked everywhere else."

Footsteps told Ianto that the man was prowling around the room. "You can't get away from us, pretty little Toshiko. Come along quietly now. We have somewhere very exciting to take you. I promise you'll love it."

Suddenly there was another voice. It filled the room, eerie and lethal. "I'd advise you to take your thugs and go. Dr. Sato isn't going anywhere with you."

Ianto thought it sounded like Jack, only amplified and distorted. He gripped his gun tighter. The first voice didn't sound as dangerous as it shouted. "What the hell? Who are you?"

The other voice answered, still distorted. "Someone who doesn't like you. Get out now." Ianto heard the sound of flesh hitting jaw. "One down and four to go."

"Shoot! Just shoot around the room! Do it!"

Shots rang out, some of them ricocheting off the cabinet door. It was too flimsy to take a direct hit and Ianto pushed Tosh to the floor. He heard a shout. "Look! His shadow! Shoot!"

"Shit! There's people coming, boss! They're in the hall!"

"All right, all right! Next time, doctor," the silky voice whispered, too close to the cabinet for comfort. "I promise there will be a next time."

There were no more sounds. Ianto opened the cabinet door carefully. Now he could hear some people running in the corridor. Two women and two men appeared at the door with guns drawn. Ianto raised his own gun. One of the men held up a hand. "We're here to help. Where's Jack?"

Ianto didn't know what to say. Had it been Jack's voice he had heard? He wasn't sure. Toshiko came out of the cabinet and put her hand on Ianto's arm. "It's all right, Ianto. That's the man that drove me home after the last attack."

As they stared at each other, a groan sounded from the far corner of the room. The men and women ran to it. "There's blood!" one of them shouted. "He's here!"

Ianto watched as they felt around on the floor. "Got him!" the other woman declared and pulled at something Ianto couldn't see. Abruptly Jack was lying in front of him on the floor, dressed in a blue coat and white scarf. He was bleeding profusely from a wound in his chest.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" The smaller man dropped to his knees. "That's arterial blood. Get help."

The other three ran. The one left yanked off the scarf and crumpled it, pressing it to the wound. "Hang on, boss," he said. "We'll get you fixed up."

Ianto felt himself moving before he realized. "Let me," he told the man.

"Are you a doctor?"

"Sort of."

The man moved back to give him some space. Ianto leaned forward until his face was only a hair's breadth away from Jack's. He put one hand over the wound and with the other cupped Jack's cheek. He gathered all of the strange energy that had been with him since the storm and concentrated. "Go back," he whispered. "Go back."

It was working! Ianto felt the blood flow stop. "Farther back. Go farther back." The wound started to close. Ianto felt himself growing weaker, but did not let go. "Back. Go back. Back." When the wound was gone, Ianto collapsed on Jack, breathing raggedly.

He felt arms embracing him and heard Jack say, "Well, this is a nice surprise. Take your time, Ianto. Now, would somebody kindly tell me what the hell just happened?"


	7. Cards on the Table

Hart glared at the computer screen. No answers came up. Irritating. He'd have to make a report, and his superiors were getting very impatient. He had no illusions. If he didn't get results soon, they'd replace him. He was the fourth one who'd been chosen. The others had been retrieved and disposed of. The Agency didn't tolerate failure.

He flipped back through the digital surveillance photos of Sato and Jones. They had to have some weakness. They had to go off alone sometime, or he'd have to think of way to get one of them alone. The Agency had told him not to let himself be seen, but this was ridiculous.

Something caught his eye in one of the pictures and he zeroed in on it. Once the targets had been in the restaurant last night, his man had taken photos of everyone who'd come out. The face of one man looked familiar. Hart enhanced the image as much as he could. The man in the tuxedo and scarf looked familiar somehow. The computer had tagged him as Captain Jack Harkness, but something about him teased at the edge of Hart's memory.

He'd seen him before in longer shots. The man was a harmless, nosy idiot who lived in a big house and sometimes was seen with the local coppers at the scene of an investigation. This was the first close-up that Hart had seen. He was quite handsome, almost too handsome to be true. However, it still didn't explain this odd sense that Hart had encountered him before in another place.

He used one of the primitive search engines to get more information. There wasn't much. The oldest entry was eight years before, a news story about his arrival in Cardiff as the long-lost nephew of someone deemed newsworthy. The rest were mostly from gossip columnists. Hart studied all the images available and found one of the man smiling at the camera.

Hart sat back in his chair, stunned. This man was Kent Allard, the member of the Time Agency High Council who had disappeared some time ago. How had he ended up here of all places? There'd been a big fuss when he vanished, with hints of the Time Lords being responsible. Hart had been a raw recruit at the time, but Kent Allard was well-known, even idolized. Now that would be quite a coup, bringing Allard back into the fold. It was possible that he could avoid the consequences of his failure should he be unable to collect Dr. Sato. He filed that away as a secondary goal.

Back to the lovely Toshiko. That protective brother of hers would be on the alert now, and Hart had learned that he was a force to be reckoned with. He cursed his men's impulsiveness. Seeing Sato alone on that campus yard had seemed too good an opportunity, but it hadn't worked. Hart thought about that fantastic tale that had been spun by his men of a ghostly voice and an invisible presence. Hart was sure it was made up, and now they had given away their element of surprise.

It was a time for a change in tactics.

* * *

Jack smiled his most charming smile at the head librarian of the Cardiff library. "I really need to borrow a research expert for a few days, ma'am. I've heard about Ianto Jones. Please, could you see your way clear to loaning him?"

The woman was clearly responding to his charisma. Jack could see she was considering a token protest, but she finally gave in. "Of course, we'll be glad to assist, Captain Harkness. You've been more than generous with your donations."

He mentally patted himself on the back as she called Ianto. The simplest approach was nearly always the best. He'd set Gwen and Suzie on tracking down more information on that storm. He and Suzie had flown to Sydney in the aftermath to take readings, but hadn't spent much time with the survivors, except to confirm that it was a Rift opening and closing. Obviously that had been a mistake.

His skin began to prickle with excitement as he stood and turned to the door. A moment later it opened to admit Ianto. He looked at Jack in surprise and then turned to the woman behind the desk. "You asked to see me, Mrs. Pierce?" he said.

"Yes, Ianto." She indicated Jack. "Captain Harkness has requested your help in cataloging his collection of rare books. The Captain is an important patron of the library." The emphasis was on "important" and "patron." "We wouldn't want to let him down. He asked for you specifically. Captain Harkness, Ianto Jones."

"Actually, we met at Estelle's last night," Jack said. He didn't offer his hand again. He was having enough difficulty not tossing Ianto over his shoulder and running away with him.

Jack noted the same poker face he had seen the previous evening, but the eyes were alight with something else. Curiosity? Suspicion? Both? Ianto nodded briefly in his direction, and then turned back to say, "I'll do my best to see that the Captain isn't disappointed. When would you like me to start?" He turned back to Jack and smiled just a little.

That smile made the room brighter. Jack dialed his charm back a notch and smiled back at him. "No time like the present. Come with me now and I'll show you the lay of the land."

Ianto balked at the idea of getting into Jack's Porsche. "I'll follow you in my own car," he said firmly.

That wouldn't suit Jack's plans at all. "I'll have one of my staff fetch it later."

Ianto's hands balled into fists and he said, "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Don't play games." Ianto's tone was belligerent now. "You meet us last night, try to hit on my sister, and then show up today in sudden need of a librarian and asking for me. What's going on?"

Jack sighed. He was going to have to stop flirting and start talking. "I heard about your sister's narrow escape yesterday. And now I'm curious."

"How did you hear? Did Mr. Davidson talk to you?"

"No." Jack didn't want Ianto to think Andy had betrayed a confidence. He was trying to think of something else when without warning, Jack felt Ianto's Time energy reaching out and his own responding without being told. It was a moment more intimate than a kiss and more powerful than dynamite.

Ianto eyes closed. He took a deep breath. "All right," he said quietly. "For now I'll believe you. I don't know why I should, but I will." He moved around the car and got into the passenger seat.

Jack felt as though he had passed some sort of test. He was still a bit confused from that moment of connection, but determined to press on. He slid behind the steering wheel and started the car.

At first, he wasn't sure that Ianto would speak, but he did. "I looked you up last night."

"Don't believe everything you read."

"If I believed half of what I found, I wouldn't talk to you, much less let you anywhere near Toshiko."

"I swear she's safe from me, Ianto. I can call you Ianto, can't I?"

"Yes."

It was a victory, however small. "What's out there is my public life. My exaggerated public life. I don't even remember the names of all the men and women I've been seen with or linked with in the gossip columns. None of that gets past the façade. I've discovered that if you are very, very public, no one looks behind to the private. Anything that's private doesn't make it out." He looked at Ianto. "You know this is not about my collection, don't you?"

"I never thought it was." Ianto seemed to be studying his hands. "Mr. Davidson recommended that I tell you about Tosh and me. What we've been up against. That you might be able to help. But, why would you? We're strangers. You don't even know us. You don't know what we're up against."

Jack pulled the car into a parking lot and turned the motor off. He turned toward Ianto and their eyes met. "I like you and I want to help," Jack said, all pretense gone.

Ianto gazed at him and Jack held his breath. He could understand Ianto's reluctance. If their positions were reversed, he'd be feeling the same. It came down to trust. Jack spoke quietly. "Please, let me help."

Slowly, Ianto inclined his head. "Yes," he said simply. "All right."

Jack put his hand on Ianto's shoulder and squeezed gently. "This is private. It'll stay that way."

Ianto glanced at the shoulder and then raised his eyes back to Jack's. "I'll take that chance."

For the rest of the drive, Ianto related his story. Jack had heard most of it at lunch, but Ianto filled in some more details. They were nearing the estate when Ianto's phone rang. He put it to his ear. "Hi, Tosh," he said.

His expression changed to one of fear. Jack stopped the car. "Where are you?" Ianto asked. Jack could just hear a panicked voice on the other end, but couldn't make out the words. Ianto replied grimly, "Stay there. Hide. Don't move. Don't make a sound. I'll be there soon." He turned to Jack. "I've got to get to Tosh!"

Jack's Bluetooth chirped and he touched it. "Harkness."

"Jack, there's been an explosion on the university campus."

"On it," Jack said. "Get on your glad-rags, kids, and meet me there. Duty calls."

* * *

Ianto couldn't make himself believe it. Not so soon. It couldn't be a coincidence. And Tosh was there alone.

Jack had driven like a maniac to the campus thus saving precious time. There were police and firemen everywhere, but no one stopping traffic as yet. Jack stopped in the middle of the road and Ianto leapt out as soon as he could get the door open. He had to find Toshiko. They were after her. He thought he could feel her terror.

He pounded up to the lab with his gun drawn. There were no students in the halls. All of the excitement was centered on the explosion site on the other side. He slid in the door and whispered, "Tosh? Are you here?"

"In here," came an answering whisper. The door to a cabinet next to the window opened slightly and Ianto got inside. Tosh threw her arms around him and he held her until she stopped shuddering. "I didn't know where else to go."

The cabinet was dark and close. "Let's be quiet now. I think help is on the way." He faced the cabinet door and pointed his gun, blocking Tosh from view should any one open it. A moment later he heard the door on the outside open. A voice spoke. It was silky and dangerous – Ianto had never heard it before. "Dr. Sato? Dr. Sato?" It came closer. "I know you're here somewhere, dear. We've checked everywhere else."

Footsteps told Ianto that the man was prowling around the room. "You can't get away from us, pretty little Toshiko. Come along quietly now. We have somewhere very exciting to take you. I promise you'll love it."

Suddenly there was another voice. It filled the room, eerie and lethal. "I'd advise you to take your thugs and go. Dr. Sato isn't going anywhere with you."

Ianto thought it sounded like Jack, only amplified and distorted. He gripped his gun tighter. The first voice didn't sound as dangerous as it shouted. "What the hell? Who are you?"

The other voice answered, still distorted. "Someone who doesn't like you. Get out now." Ianto heard the sound of flesh hitting jaw. "One down and four to go."

"Shoot! Just shoot around the room! Do it!"

Shots rang out, some of them ricocheting off the cabinet door. It was too flimsy to take a direct hit and Ianto pushed Tosh to the floor. He heard a shout. "Look! His shadow! Shoot!"

"Shit! There's people coming, boss! They're in the hall!"

"All right, all right! Next time, doctor," the silky voice whispered, too close to the cabinet for comfort. "I promise there will be a next time."

There were no more sounds. Ianto opened the cabinet door carefully. Now he could hear some people running in the corridor. Two women and two men appeared at the door with guns drawn. Ianto raised his own gun. One of the men held up a hand. "We're here to help. Where's Jack?"

Ianto didn't know what to say. Had it been Jack's voice he had heard? He wasn't sure. Toshiko came out of the cabinet and put her hand on Ianto's arm. "It's all right, Ianto. That's the man that drove me home after the last attack."

As they stared at each other, a groan sounded from the far corner of the room. The men and women ran to it. "There's blood!" one of them shouted. "He's here!"

Ianto watched as they felt around on the floor. "Got him!" the other woman declared and pulled at something Ianto couldn't see. Abruptly Jack was lying in front of him on the floor, dressed in a blue coat and white scarf. He was bleeding profusely from a wound in his chest.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" The smaller man dropped to his knees. "That's arterial blood. Get help."

The other three ran. The one left yanked off the scarf and crumpled it, pressing it to the wound. "Hang on, boss," he said. "We'll get you fixed up."

Ianto felt himself moving before he realized. "Let me," he told the man.

"Are you a doctor?"

"Sort of."

The man moved back to give him some space. Ianto leaned forward until his face was only a hair's breadth away from Jack's. He put one hand over the wound and with the other cupped Jack's cheek. He gathered all of the strange energy that had been with him since the storm and concentrated. "Go back," he whispered. "Go back."

It was working! Ianto felt the blood flow stop. "Farther back. Go farther back." The wound started to close. Ianto felt himself growing weaker, but did not let go. "Back. Go back. Back." When the wound was gone, Ianto collapsed on Jack, breathing raggedly.

He felt arms embracing him and heard Jack say, "Well, this is a nice surprise. Take your time, Ianto. Now, would somebody kindly tell me what the hell just happened?"


	8. A New Plan

Hart raised his binoculars to look at the manor house. His quarry had vanished into that place and he had no idea how he was going to get her out. The grounds looked deserted and harmless, but his wrist monitor had revealed a host of hidden and not-quite-hidden traps that waited there, for anyone who managed to get over the electrified twenty-foot fence. It was fortified to withstand Armageddon.

Ergo, drawing her out would be his only course of action. However, the only way he could think to do that was to grab that brother of hers and use him as bait. Sadly, he was inside there, too, as was Kent Allard, aka Captain Jack Harkness. How they had managed to hook up, he didn't know. That was the main problem. He didn't know.

He had to get eyes and ears inside that place, but how? He had all this technology and was under orders not to use it. Well, screw that now, he thought. What they don't know won't hurt them, and it just might get me what I want. He turned to go. A few hours and this little operation would be wrapped up.

* * *

Jack was relieved to find sandwiches in the room. It wasn't all that late, but he felt like this day had been far too long. One last conference and then everyone but the on-call could go to bed. If he needed the rest, the others did, too. "Okay," he said after they were all assembled, "let's see if we can narrow down the list of possible suspects a bit."

Toshiko said, "We know it has to be someone with a lot of resources. This has been going on for a long time."

"Someone determined to keep their identity a secret," Gwen spoke up. "No traces for the police to find."

"Good point, Gwen," Jack said. "Think about that. Five years of attacks and no evidence at all other than eyewitness accounts. No one can be that good. So what does that say about them?"

"Technology," Suzie said. "They aren't just hired thugs. They've got something protecting them."

Jack turned in his chair to look at Ianto. When Jack had brought him back into the conference room, he had placed Ianto at his right. "Ianto, you've physically fought them off. Do you remember anything at all about them that might support that?"

"Yes," Ianto said promptly. "It was something I didn't think anyone would believe. It wouldn't have made a difference to the police so I didn't bother to tell them."

"We're all believers here," Jack said with a sweep of his hand.

"When I found them trying to take Dad from our house, I ran after them. I had one of them by the arm and I tried to rip the sleeve off. It didn't move. The glove wouldn't come off and neither would the ski mask. It was like the clothing was stuck to the skin and couldn't be pulled. Same way the other time. Even their shoes. I stomped on one foot hard enough to break toes and the shoe didn't have a scuff mark."

"Whoa!" Owen stood up and ran for the door. "Wait, I'll be right back." And he was. "Been testing this in the medical bay. Came through the Rift a few months ago. You put it on and it sticks to skin, and it can't be pulled off by someone else." He placed a white square of cloth across the back of his hand. "Now give it a pull." He held out his hand to Rhys.

Rhys tugged gently and then harder. The cloth didn't move. "Here, Gwen, use those talons of yours."

Gwen tried as well, attempting to slide the tips of her nails under the edge of the cloth. "I can't get purchase," she protested. "It's like the edge isn't there."

"But look." Owen touched the cloth and it slid around on his hand. He picked it off and gave it to Suzie, who passed it on to Jack.

Jack put it onto his hand. It was comfortable, not like a glued piece of cloth might feel. Ianto put out a tentative finger to push at it. It stayed where it was. "Yeah," he said. "Like that only stronger."

Jack took the cloth off and passed it to the other side of the table. "Not just technology. Alien technology. Cloth that leaves no fibers, gloves that can't come loose and masks stuck firmly in place. It must be more advanced than this since it affords some protection."

Tosh stared at him. "You mean these… these people… they're not from Earth?"

"Or not from this time. Or maybe both." Jack leaned back with his hands behind his head. "Kids? Do we have any record of Rift activity that might correspond to these attacks?"

Suzie and Tosh stood at the same moment. "Got dates?" Suzie asked.

"Any records?" Tosh asked at the same time.

Jack smiled. "Go find out." As they left he turned to Gwen and Rhys. "You two are on cleanup. I want everything checked so that not even a breeze can get through tonight. All the equipment, every piece. Make sure every recording device is recording. There were a couple hundred people there this afternoon and I'm sure more than a few saw us get into the SUV with Tosh and Ianto, and Owen drives the Porsche like a maniac so that all the ladies will drool over him. It's not exactly inconspicuous."

"Hey!" Owen protested. "I've driven it what, three times? A guy has to have some fun."

"No fun for you tonight. I want you to check both Ianto and me over one more time to make sure we're clear. Once you're finished, hit the sack. Suzie's on call. Go get ready, Owen. Oi! Rhys, clean up means in here as well." Jack pointed to what was left of the tray. He saw Gwen bristle up. "Please," he added. Rhys returned and picked up the tray with exaggerated deference, bowing as he closed the door.

Ianto stood, his expression blank. "I don't need checking over, Jack."

"Neither do I." Jack took a step closer and was pleased that Ianto stayed put. "But, I want to try something and I don't think Toshiko would let me."

"What makes you think I'll let you?"

"This I think you will." Jack tapped his shoulder where the wound had been. "I want you to show me how you focus your energy when you do that. Owen's not going to be happy about us cutting each other up for practice, but I think it would be my head on a platter if your sister finds out." Jack paused and then asked. "She is just your sister, right? I mean, you aren't…?"

Ianto looked very Welsh as he rolled his eyes.

* * *

Tosh awoke to the sound of alarms. She grabbed for the robe that Gwen had loaned her and wrapped it around herself as Ianto burst in through her door, his gun out. He pushed it closed. "Get down!" he hissed, sliding past her to check the window. The alarms stopped and a minute later there was a light knock. Ianto moved Tosh behind him, aiming for the door.

"It's me."

It sounded like Jack. Tosh sagged in relief, but it seemed that Ianto was having none of it. He stayed where he was, not saying anything.

"If I open this, are you going to shoot me?"

That was definitely Jack, but Ianto did not lower the gun. He kept it trained exactly where the voice was coming from. Tosh could hear the knob turning and the noise of the hinges. She peeked around Ianto's side and giggled.

Jack had not come in. His hand was through the opening frantically waving one of his white scarves. "Oh, stop, Ianto," she said, and then called, "I won't let him shoot you."

The door opened and Jack came in, dressed in a shirt and trousers. "Sorry about all the noise." He stopped when he saw Ianto. "Good morning." That flirtatious grin that Tosh was beginning to associate with Jack looking at her brother flashed across his face.

Only then did Tosh realize that Ianto had only a pair of black pajama pants on. No wonder Jack's eyes had gone a bit peculiar. Ianto never believed her when she told him what an impression he made on others. She found his cluelessness both cute and annoying. Maybe that was another thing Jack could help with.

Ianto finally relaxed and put the safety back on his gun. He pointed it at the floor. "What was that all about?"

"The perimeter cameras have reported that something was thrown over the fence a few minutes ago." Jack's tone was all business, but he was still looking at Ianto. "We've got it under surveillance now and in about half an hour, if it hasn't done anything untoward, we'll go fetch it in one of our containment units."

"Did they see who threw it?"

"It was dark, but they made out a person, probably male, dressed in black from head to toe. Sound familiar?"

"God." Tosh sank onto the bed. "Now you're all in danger because of me."

Ianto sat down beside her. "Don't, Tosh."

"No, don't." Jack walked to the bed and crouched down to look her in the eyes. "Really, this is how we start most days. It may be related or it may not be. This is what Torchwood does, Toshiko."

She offered up a smile. "Well, I'm glad that you do what you do."

"Our pleasure. Oh, and speaking of pleasure…" He grinned at Ianto. "We're going to grab a bit of breakfast in the kitchen while we watch the 'Suspicious Package Show'. It's come-as-you-are today."

Ianto's face to anyone else would have been impassive, but Tosh saw the tiny hitch of one corner of Ianto's mouth. She gave points to Jack for perseverance and tried not to smile too broadly. Ianto stood with dignity. "I'll come as I am after I get dressed," he said. He waited.

Jack nodded and led him to the door.

* * *

He waited out in the hall for Ianto, just to prove that he had not been sneaking around in Ianto's room to watch him getting dressed. It had been a temptation – just as much as the ones he had resisted the night before. He kept reminding himself to slow down. Ianto was still reserved; that bit of unexpected laughter was the closest Jack had seen to Ianto letting his guard down.

When Ianto emerged, Jack enjoyed the view. He'd loaned Ianto some of his clothing, since Owen was too short and Rhys the wrong shape entirely. Jack was a bit broader in the shoulder than Ianto's wiry frame, but the shirt and pants fit in all the right places. A low wolf whistle expressed Jack's admiration nicely.

Ianto sighed. "You never give up, do you?"

"No." Jack's smile was on the wistful side. "I can't help it. Have you looked in a mirror lately? You know, you might have a little fun with it. At least you could stop looking like you're going to put a fist in my face sometimes."

Ianto raised an eyebrow, and then a hand which he promptly balled into a fist. He looked at it and seemed to be contemplating the distance between Jack and his hand. Just when Jack was getting nervous, Ianto looked up at him with the wickedest grin that Jack had ever seen. "No remarks about me blushing, ok? Other than that, I promise not to hit you."

"Deal." Jack made a sweeping gesture with his hand. "Shall we go to breakfast then?"

"Will there be coffee?"

"There's something we call coffee. None of us has ever been able to make the new espresso machine work properly. All we have is an old-fashioned percolator and that doesn't exactly make it smooth."

Ianto gave that sigh again. Jack was beginning to really enjoy that sigh. "Let me take a look at it," Ianto said. "I'm rather particular about my coffee."


	9. Betrayal

They subjected the package to every scan they had. It seemed to be a cube that was utterly inert. No markings on any surface. No obvious power source. Just a metal cube.

Ianto stood slightly in front of Toshiko, partially shielding her even though she probably didn't want shielding. Suzie was the one who spoke up finally. "Let's get it out of the package and see what it does."

Jack nodded to her. As Ianto watched, Suzie assembled what looked like shears with the longest handles he had ever seen. She reached for the package with them and cut the cord binding it. Once it was free, she pushed the paper down so that they could all get a look at it.

Without warning the cube flashed orange and a charge went up the handles. The charge reached Suzie's hands and spread over her like a wave of water. Ianto drew his gun along with the others. He pushed Toshiko completely behind him and backed away.

"Stand down," Jack said. "No one shoot her."

The orange wave pulsed and shaped itself into something else – a man. They could still see Suzie through the haze, but an image was overlaid. It was obviously more than an image, because it moved and Suzie moved with it. When she spoke, her voice was decidedly masculine. "Well, hello, people," she… he… it said. "Nice to see you. Forgive my intrusion, but this seemed to be the only way to get in here." Suzie's face faded out to be replaced by a man's face. His eyes darted around until he saw Toshiko peeping out from behind Ianto. "Ah, Dr. Sato, at last we meet. You're very lucky, or very sneaky. I'm not sure which. And Mr. Jones, the stalwart defender. You're even better looking in person." There was a definite leer on the face. "I'm looking forward to seeing you close up. And personal."

Ianto felt, rather than saw Jack moving closer to him. The face of the man shifted awkwardly to look at him. "And this was a nice surprise. Councilor Allard." In spite of Suzie's resistance, the entity managed a bow. "Your Highness, what is a member of the High Council doing in this miserable little dimension on this miserable little planet? Did the Time Lords drop you here? It's your lucky day, because I can offer you a way back to where you rightfully belong. You've been missed."

"Not even from this dimension." Ianto remembered Jack saying that. "An alien who can cross boundaries." Was it a Time Lord, whatever that was? He looked over at Jack.

Jack's expression was impassive. "Do I know you?"

"Oh, no. A lowly member of the Royal Guard named Hart would have no chance to see one of the ruling Council. Pity, that. I think, if you had seen me, I might have been selected as a concubine."

"Jack." It was Rhys. "What the hell is he talking about?" He, Gwen and Owen were staring at Jack.

The entity forced Suzie's head to turn in his direction. "Oh, you mean he hasn't told you that he's one of the most powerful rulers in our dimension? That he controls the fates of hundreds of planets? That he can smash them as easily as you can break one of those nasty eggshells from this place. He was as famous for doing that as he was for his sexual prowess. More concubines than any two other Councilors combined. And all of them satisfied."

Ianto felt sick. He had thought they'd finally found someone who could help. And here he was in league with….

That train of thought snapped abruptly. He felt the tingle of time energy that was Jack's. In it, there seemed to be a message of pleading desperation. "Trust me, Ianto. Please trust me."

How was this possible? Whatever it was Ianto pulled away with revulsion.

Again the thought pushed harder. "Please. This may be our only chance. Go along with what I say. Trust me. Please."

Ianto turned his head slightly so that he could see Jack's face. Those crystal blue eyes were fixed on him. He had to decide and he had to decide now. That part of him took over. He knew what to do. He nodded, just enough for Jack to see and reached behind himself to give Tosh's hand a reassuring squeeze. He couldn't see what she did without turning, so he just watched as the man swung Suzie's head back to look at Jack.

"Your Highness," Hart said again. "Dr. Sato is sought after by the Council. She has the knowledge of Time that we need to learn to attain immortality. How did you find her?"

Jack's face relaxed into a smile that oozed sensuality in its basest form. "That was just a happy coincidence," he said, taking Ianto's hand and pulling him close. Ianto didn't resist. Whatever charade the captain was weaving he would do his part. Jack raised Ianto's hand to his lips, kissing the palm slowly. "I just happened to see this gorgeous specimen and had to have him. She came along as part of the package."

To Ianto's surprise, Hart nodded. "I can see why," he said, through Suzie's mouth, each word dripping with innuendo. "I saw you chasing after him yesterday."

"I had to get him alone to put him in thrall. You should know that. Found them hiding in a cabinet of all things. Now, I've put my mark on him. He'll do anything I say, won't you, sweetling?"

Jack's proximity with all the energy swirling around them made Ianto relaxed enough to not growl at the endearment. He gave into the dizziness enough to sound in "thrall"; at least he hoped so. "Yes," he murmured.

"So," Jack said, "Where shall I meet you? I'll bring little Toshiko for you and Ianto for me. I'm even willing to split the bounty. When I get home, I won't need it."

Hart asked, "What about the rest of your retinue?"

"Oh, they can stay here. I could kill them, of course, but it's a waste of energy. They won't talk. After all, who would believe them? You didn't say where we should meet?"

"Drive your SUV to the south. Bring the cube. Have one of them touch it after you are five miles away. I'll direct you here."

Jack frowned. "Not Ianto. I don't want him damaged. And you don't want Dr. Sato damaged either. I'll bring one of the others to use the cube. Don't worry. They'll do what they are told."

"I'll give you fifteen minutes to get yourself and your playthings into your car. Don't be late, Councilor. One of my men is watching you."

"Oh, I wouldn't miss this chance. It may be my only one," Jack said and the image faded away.

* * *

Hart watched the screen on his computer. One of his men, high up in one of the trees outside the gate had a video camera trained on the elaborate entrance to the Harkness mansion. Just over ten minutes after Hart had deactivated his device, two figures came out of the door. The larger of the two men Hart had seen was dragging a cuffed and struggling Toshiko Sato toward the SUV in the driveway. Hart had to admit that the woman was giving as good as she got.

The man forced her to the vehicle and opened one of the rear doors. He pulled another pair of handcuffs and shackled her to the door. He pushed her inside and slammed the door shut. A moment later he drew the cube out of his pocket and climbed into the front seat on the passenger's side.

A minute later, Allard – Harkness – came out of the house with his new toy. Ianto Jones appeared to come willingly enough, towed only by the hand that clasped his. Amusement tugged at the corner of Hart's mouth. Allard was known for his control over his concubines. Hart had seen him before with six of the deposed rulers of planets he had crushed fawning over him in his public appearances. The most any other Councilor had managed was two.

Allard led Ianto to the back door of the SUV and opened it. They stood for a moment as Allard stroked the cheek of his captive. Ianto slumped forward and Allard caught him, carefully lifting him into the seat and shutting the door. Allard himself got into the front seat. The heavily tinted windows prevented the camera from seeing inside, but the vehicle started down the driveway as soon as Allard was in.

His man tracked it through the gate and then the view switched to the camera in the car which pulled out and followed. Hart was taking no chances of pursuit by those minions left behind. The camera in the tree would remain for another hour. It would leave Hart a man down, but that was acceptable. Allard must be eager to get home.

When the SUV had traveled far enough that Hart deemed safe from tracking, he activated the cube.


	10. Escape

This time Jack was not caught by surprise when Rhys stiffened and the orange glow spread over him like a second skin. "Welcome back," he said. "Want to tell me where we are going?"

Rhys turned awkwardly, allowing the entity to look into the back seat. Jack could hear Toshiko sobbing. If he used his heightened senses, he could also hear Ianto's steady breathing. The figure next to him turned back and sat forward, reaching across to pat his thigh. Jack allowed himself a smile. If Rhys remembered that he would be mortified.

Jack assumed a mask of disdain and said coldly, "I have not given you permission to touch me."

The hand was snatched away immediately. When Hart spoke again, the voice was decidedly more deferential. "Your Highness, please drive to the Cardiff docks. My temporary quarters are in one of the warehouses. I'll direct you to the correct one when we arrive."

Hart did not speak for the remainder of the drive for which Jack was grateful, even if it gave him time to brood. He checked the mirror a few times to see the car following. Two men from what he could see. Now everything was up to the whims of Fate. When he neared the waterfront, he spoke again using the same cold voice of authority, "Tell me which warehouse."

"Three rows down and turn left." Hart had regained some of his cockiness for the voice was stronger. "The second one from the end."

As hiding places went, it was a good one, Jack conceded. This far away from the loading docks would be quiet and deserted most of the time. He pulled the SUV to a stop.

"Welcome to my quarters, Councilor Allard. I hope they are adequate while I activate the dimensional rift transfer. We'll soon be home where we belong." With that, the glow disappeared and Rhys sagged forward against his belt.

The car that had followed them all the way had stopped behind them. The men got out and one hurried to open the door for Jack. "How may we assist you, Councilor?" one of them asked. They were still dressed in black, but their faces were uncovered. One was an Aberanthian with the characteristic greyish green skin and the other a Manthopine, three cat eyes and tiny pointed ears. No wonder they'd vanished when pursued; they couldn't afford to be caught. They must have come through the dimensional jump with Hart.

Adopting a supercilious half-sneer, Jack acknowledged his presence. "Remove Dr. Sato and bring her inside." He gave the man the key to the cuffs holding her to the door. "Do not touch Jones. He is mine and I will not have him sullied."

The men ran around to the other side of the vehicle. Jack opened Ianto's door, making sure that he didn't tumble out. He stepped up on the rim and stroked Ianto's cheek. "Awaken, my treasure," he said for the benefit of the men. "Time to go to our paradise."

Ianto obediently opened his eyes part way and reached for Jack. Carefully, Jack helped him down. The men were already dragging Tosh to the warehouse door. This was the moment of truth.

* * *

Ianto noted that the inside of the warehouse in no way reflected the dull exterior of the outside. It was furnished as a scene from some futuristic Arthurian castle. Thick rugs were scattered on the floor, surrounding a center podium and rich draperies hung from overhead. To one side was an elaborate throne-like chair, and two tables, one of which sported a very out-of-place laptop computer. The center podium was topped by a piece of machinery that looked like it was made of silver.

In the chair sat Hart in the flesh. As he stood and came toward them, Ianto could see his blond hair and blue eyes, but there was something just off about his face. His lips were thin and too wide and when he opened his mouth to speak, he had too many teeth. A few in the front had sharp points. He was dressed in a red military-looking jacket, black pants, and boots. Like Jack, Ianto could feel Time Energy on him, but not as strong and definitely not as pleasant. He wanted to make a face and move away, but kept his features and his body still. Their only chance lay in keeping character.

Hart strolled nonchalantly, his eyes fixed on Jack's. When he was about five feet away, he stopped and knelt with bowed head. "Your Highness."

To Ianto, the deference sounded a bit sarcastic. Jack's arm around Ianto's waist pulled him a little closer and for the first time, Ianto didn't feel he was playing a part. He felt that Jack was the only thing keeping him out of a flood of swirling sewer water and he wanted to cling tighter. Through that strange communication that they seemed to have developed, he heard, "Block him. He stinks of darkness. Focus on me." Out loud, Jack said, "You may stand."

When Hart obeyed there was a decided smirk on his face. "I see, sir, that you have brought me my prize." He indicated Tosh where she stood between the two aliens, glaring at Hart with defiance. He then nodded at Ianto, leering. "And you have brought yours."

Jack smiled at the other man, but his eyes were cold. "My prize, yes. I may make him consort when we return. After all, I can be sure that he's pure human." This must have been some sort of insult, because Hart visibly flinched. "Where is your transport?"

"Here, sir." Hart moved to the center podium and pointed to the machine. "It's still experimental, so the ride may be rough, but it will take us all back to the proper dimension through its rift."

"You do realize," Jack said in that cool voice he used when addressing Hart, "that if you open this so close to the time and space rift here, it will probably destroy the planet."

"We'll be long gone by the time that happens, sir." Hart beckoned to another man standing in the shadows. "Start the machine."

He was almost there. Ianto held his breath. The signal had to come now.

It did.

A fusillade of shots rang out, just outside the door. Several things happened at once. Jack vanished. Ianto dropped and rolled away toward Hart, intent on knocking him off his feet. Toshiko snapped the trick handcuffs in two and elbowed the men holding her in their stomachs. She turned and ran for the door, zigzagging her way across the floor. Two shots from Jack's guns pinged off the machine and Hart fired his weapon at the fleeing Toshiko. A spurt of blue fire shot toward her, but she wasn't there when it arrived. Ianto's momentum carried him forward and Hart tripped as Ianto grabbed for an ankle. Hart yelled "No!" and swung his weapon back to Ianto.

Ianto heard Jack's gasp and knew he was bringing his guns around to shoot, but it wouldn't be in time. Ianto could see Hart's finger on the trigger. He shouted, "Stop!" as the energy within him swirled out of control.

Silence.

Everything around him had frozen as though someone had pressed a pause button on a DVR. The air seemed heavy – a hundred times worse than the muggiest day he had ever experienced. Without thinking Ianto slid away from the muzzle of the weapon pointed at him. He could move, but the effort it cost him made him dizzy again.

Surely this strange state wouldn't last. Ianto had to destroy the machine but by the time he reached it, he wouldn't be able to move. He forced air into his lungs and tried to think.

He looked at Hart in his crouch and reached for the man's arm. It was hard, but slowly he raised the arm until the weapon was pointing at the machine. Using Hart's shoulders for leverage, Ianto pulled himself up awkwardly, checking the sighting of the weapon. He turned and staggered toward Jack, visible to him in the strange pause. Ianto's lungs burned and his head was aching. He knew he couldn't move Jack standing, so he pushed him over, lowering him to the floor. One of the energy guns was on the floor and Ianto picked it up. He dragged Jack with him closer to the wall. Ianto could barely move, but he forced himself to use his last bit of strength to stand and raise the energy gun. He aimed carefully at the machine and pulled the trigger. He forced his mind to go blank. Everything started to move again. He saw a shower of sparks, heard the boom of an explosion, and then it all went black.


	11. Confrontation

Jack didn't understand. One moment he was desperately trying to shoot Hart before Hart could shoot Ianto and the next he was against the wall. A flash of light and an explosion of sound caused him to look at the center of the room. The machine was in pieces and flames were licking the carpet around it. He had no time to take it in, however, because Ianto's body fell across him.

It was an empty body, no energy, no breathing. Jack sat up and tossed his guns aside to cradle Ianto in his arms. He lowered his head to give artificial respiration, but instead it turned into a kiss. A kiss that forced Jack's energy into Ianto's heart, demanding that he wake up and respond, no denial possible. What seemed like hours later, Ianto stirred and he gasped against Jack's mouth. Jack pulled back a little to see that Ianto's eyes were open. "Hi," he said, and then brought his lips down on Ianto's again. The world seemed to drop away as they shared their first real kiss. All too soon, however, the smoke and the flames made Jack realize that they needed to get out.

The door to the warehouse flew open and Owen appeared. Jack called to him as he helped a shaky Ianto to his feet. "Where's Hart?" Jack shouted as Owen helped support Ianto through the door.

Once outside, Owen slammed the door shut. "He came out of here a couple of minutes ago, shooting that damn blaster of his. We dove for cover and he went into the warehouse across the way. Suzie and Gwen drove the SUV's to block two of the doors. They're watching the other two with Rhys and Tosh."

"Stay here with Ianto and check him over. I'm not sure what happened, but I think he saved the day."

"Where are you going?" Ianto asked, putting an unsteady hand on Jack's arm.

"I'm going to put my past behind me forever. Don't worry." Jack gave him a quick kiss on the forehead.

He moved away quickly to the door where Gwen and Suzie had their guns trained on the door. "He's still in there," Gwen reported.

"Not for long," Jack said grimly. Grabbing one of Suzie's guns. He stormed to the door, opened it a crack and emptied the clip inside. He tossed the gun back to Suzie and drew his Webleys. A moment later, he was through the door.

The warehouse was full, top to bottom with large panes of mirrored glass. He stared for a moment at his image, shadowy in the weak sunlight from the windows near the ceiling. "Hart!" he shouted and dodged to another spot.

"Well, if it isn't Councilor Allard." The voice mocked him as it bounced around the glass, leaving hollow echoes.

Jack took a guess and fired a shot in that direction. A tinkling of glass was all he got from it. "That's Harkness!" he called as he edged along one of the rows. "Jack Harkness!" If he could keep Hart talking, he would be able to find him. "There is no Kent Allard anymore."

A burst of energy shattered a pane behind him. "Why would anyone stay on this garbage heap of a planet?" The derisive voice came from ahead and to the left. Jack turned a corner and fired, but only saw the shards of another glass. "You could do anything back there! Have anything you want!"

Jack ducked and ran along the aisle to his left. "There's nothing there for me to want!" he shouted. Another pane of glass to his right was blasted apart.

Hart's contemptuous laugh seemed to come from everywhere. "Do you plan on ruling this cesspit instead? Is that what you'd limit yourself to?"

"I'm not interested in that anymore!" Jack knelt to see through one of the shelves and heard the sound of running footsteps. He fired twice quickly.

"Don't be stupid!" Jack blocked out the echoes and listened for the feet sounds again as the voice continued. "Everyone wants power! Once a tyrant, always a tyrant!"

"Not me!" Jack crept along the aisle. The steps were close now. "I'm free of that! You'll never understand."

"I hope I never do! I'll get back somehow and tell them all! We'll be back before you know it and this planet will be ours!"

Jack could see Hart's feet now. He aimed carefully through the stands. "Not in my Time!" Jack fired multiple shots with both guns. Glass exploded everywhere. There was a scream and then nothing.

He ran to the next aisle. On the ground lay Hart. A large sharp fragment of glass stuck out of his forehead.


	12. How They Did It

The Torchwood team plus its guests was seated around the conference table, enjoying a quiet meal. "No lingering aftereffects of that possession box or whatever it was," Owen said. "Not any I can find, at least."

"If Rhys turns into a zombie tonight, I'll let you know," Gwen replied with a giggle.

Suzie laughed, too. "If I turn orange again, Owen, I'm blaming you."

"It seems like you were able to follow the trail easily enough," Jack said. "Have any trouble?"

"Nah," Owen said. "It was just like a drill. The driver side squirter needs to be adjusted though. It splashed the road instead of the tire a few times. In the light it looked like condor poop."

"Gee, thanks for the visual," Tosh said. "Gross."

"I can't help it if that weird light spectrum makes it look that way."

Suzie said sarcastically, "Am I the only one troubled that Owen knows what condor poop looks like?"

Rhys spoke up. "Gwen, good thing you spotted that guy with the camera and took him out, or it might have all gone wrong. Did you really do it with just one shot?"

Gwen shrugged. "I'm used to checking for paparazzi before Jack leaves. He wasn't exactly hiding. I don't usually shoot them, though. Although," she continued thoughtfully, "maybe we should look into adapting one of the guns to shoot paint balls over long distances. Would serve the buggers right."

As they chattered, Jack looked at Ianto and touched his hand under the table. "You okay?" he said quietly.

"I think so," Ianto answered with a slight smile. "I no longer feel like I have an elephant on my chest".

"Later," Jack promised. He got to his feet. "I'd like to propose a toast to my clever Torchwood team for being able to improvise a plan in five minutes."

"Hear, hear," Tosh said. They all raised their glasses and clinked them together.

"Someday, Jack," Suzie said, "will you tell us about this mysterious past and why that person kept referring to you as 'Councilor Allard'?"

"Maybe. But for now, that part of me is dead and buried. I'd like it to stay that way. Okay?"

They all nodded. "Whenever you feel like talking, boss," Gwen said, "we'll be ready to listen."

Jack gave them one of his megawatt smiles. "Clever team. My clever Torchwood team."

* * *

On the island named Flatholm in the Cardiff bay, there is an underground hospital. In one of the recovery rooms, a doctor checked over a patient who had come out of surgery an hour before. He read the chart and examined the lab reports. He made a notation of "85%" and recommended putting him in the mostly human wing when he left the infirmary.

The man's eyes opened. "Hello there," the doctor said genially. "Welcome back."

"Where am I?"

"You're in recovery. It was a long operation and we ended up having to remove a part of your brain. It's okay, though. People don't use that part anyway."

The man on the bed seemed to consider this.

"Tell me, doctor. Do you know who I am? I can't seem to remember."

"When Captain Harkness brought you here, he entered your name as John Hart. Ring any bells?"

He shook his head. The doctor patted his shoulder. "It's all right. We'll take good care of you."

* * *

Ianto sat in the garden gazebo on the Harkness estate and looked out at the dark countryside. It felt odd to be alone outdoors at night – he hadn't allowed himself to do that for months – but it meant that he could try and sort out the chaos of his emotions without being noticed.

His world had flipped over several times in the last forty-eight hours. Nothing was the way it had been. He and Toshiko would no longer be looking over their shoulders. He could even leave her here with their new-found friends and go back to Australia. The possibilities were endless – and overwhelming.

At one time all Ianto had ever wanted was a 'normal' life, one that involved a wife and a family to come home to each day. A life that was exciting in its conformity. He'd gone into the Navy and he'd been happy there. It was there he had learned how to deal with people on their many levels and where he'd met the girl of his dreams. He'd dared to believe it was going to come true before hard reality crushed it all.

The life he'd lived for the past two years had gone away and he had no clear direction on where he should go. He had these strange powers that he didn't understand, a group of people who dealt with a tear in the fabric of the universe, and the strangest thing of all, Captain Jack Harkness.

Ianto smiled wryly as he heard the sound of feet on the stairs up to the gazebo and felt the tingle of Jack's energy. Did he do that on purpose? It seemed that every time Ianto thought about him, he appeared like a conjurer's trick. Were they that attuned to each other?

"Hi," Jack said.

Ianto opened his eyes and looked at Jack. "Hi," he said.

Jack stood in the doorway wearing the coat he used when he was the Shadow. It was a nice coat. It moved with the Captain like a second skin. Jack took a step in. "I came out to see how you were doing," he explained carefully, as though Ianto might suspect other motives.

"I'm all right, I think. I'm breathing fine and my mouth doesn't taste like smoke." Ianto watched Jack take another step toward him.

"Good. That's good." Jack's voice was a little unsteady as it continued. "I mean, you nearly died today. Some people find it hard to bounce back right away. And, while we're on the subject, I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't do it again. Almost dying, I mean."

Ianto smiled. Jack was so different from other people, but then again he was from another dimension. "I'll remove it from my favorite pastimes list," Ianto deadpanned.

"Thanks." Jack smiled back at him. "Speaking of lists, I guess we can add another superpower to your list. In addition to 'can-back-someone-up-in-time', we now have 'can-stop-the-flow-of-time-for-a-bit'."

"I didn't do it on purpose, Jack. It just happened." Ianto shifted uncomfortably. "I still don't have any control."

"Like I said, we can work on that. As long as you avoid the nearly-dying thing. That's really disrupting."

"So what do I do while we're 'working on it'? I wasn't too excited about the nearly-dying thing myself. What if something else happens?"

Jack raised an eyebrow. "You can stay here. That way we can let things develop naturally." He seemed to think about that. "And let other things… develop naturally. If you want."

Ianto matched Jack's raised eyebrow. "What do I do with myself while… things are developing naturally?"

Jack came closer, just outside Ianto's personal space. "We really do need someone to organize all that stuff we've collected over the years. Usually, we shove it in a box and when the box gets full we put it in a storage room. It does kind of make things hard to find."

"It would."

"Or, if you like, you could really catalog those books in the library. I have no idea what's in there. Those books could be stuffed with anything and I wouldn't know better. Or, if those don't appeal to you…" Here Jack looked at him with an intensity that sent shivers down his spine. "…I could really use a secretary."

Ianto returned the gaze, trying to fathom the real reason behind this. "Why do you need a secretary?"

"To... well… organize me. No, I'm serious. I forget and bring up stuff from the basement when the cleaning crew is in the house. I don't remember to turn the alarms off when the gardeners come and scare them and us half to death. I misplace phone messages and invitations. I'm always late for appointments, if I don't forget them altogether. So… what do you say?"

Ianto took a deep breath. He'd reached the only conclusion possible. "As long as I don't have to be one of those that sit around pining for the boss, I'll be your secretary."

Jack's smiled turned into an amazing beam of light. "No, in this case, I'll be the boss hopelessly pining for the secretary."

"Jack." Ianto supposed he was going to have to get used to this flirty diffidence. He reached for Jack's hand and held it between his own. "It's not hopeless. It just needs to… develop. Okay?"

"Okay."

The smile did not dim at all. Ianto returned it. Maybe it would be all right. "Jack, I meant to tell you…"

"Tell me what?"

"Those little names you called me? They go on the fist-in-the-face list. Along with teasing me about blushing."

Jack laughed, a sound of pure delight. "I'll agree if you'll answer one question."

"What's that?"

"You said you'd kissed other men. How did mine measure up?"

It was Ianto's turn to laugh. "Where I would rate the others as pretty good, yours was definitely mind-blowing."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah."

"I can work with that."


End file.
